Russia in the Twentieth Century: The quest for stability

The history of Russia, as the natural successor to the Soviet Union, is of crucial importance to understanding why communism ultimately lost out to Western democracy and the free market system. David Marples presents a balanced overview of 20th century Russian history and shows that although contemporary Russia has retained many of the practices and memories of the Soviet period, it is not about to revert back to the Soviet example.

About the Author

David R. Marples is Distinguished University Professor in the Department of History and Classics, University of Alberta, Canada. He is author of twelve books on contemporary Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, including Lenin's Revolution: Russia 1917-1921 (2000) and The Collapse of the Soviet Union, 1985-1991 (2004).